Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 November 1901 — Indiana State News. [ARTICLE]

Indiana State News.

Tho dead body of Miss Bessie Decker, aged 21, was found in the orchard in the rear of her mother’s home at an early hour Sunday morning. There were no marks of violence, and the cause of the girl’s death is a mystery. Miss Decker was the daughter of a respectable German family and bore an excellent reputation. She kept company with no one, as far as her family knew. The Decker home is in the edge of the woods northeast of Hartford City. Miss Decker was at home last evening, and when the family retired she was seated at the organ singing sacred songs. They did not know that she intended to leave the house nor when she went out. Sunday morning the family arose at the usual hour, the girl remaining, as supposed at the time, in her room. Her brother started for his day’s work and found her body In the orchard. The dead girl was neatly dressed and over her head wore a white fascinator. It was then discovered that the girl’s bed had not been occupied. In her room was found nothing to indicate that she contemplated self-destruction. 01 Klinger, a farmer near Wlnamac, Is a disciple of John Alexander Dowie, and acting on the advice of Mr. Dowie, has just sacrificed his winter Biipply of pork that he may recover from consumption. Klinger has been ill for some time, and went to Chicago to consult Dowie, who gave him to understand that he could be cured if he would kill all the hogs on his place and bury them. Klinger tried to get the neighbors to kill and bury the animals, but they refused, as the Klinger family is in straitened circumstances and needed the hogs. They offered to kill the porkers if Klinger would pack the meat, but he refused. Mrs. Klinger then hunted up William Whitaker a prophet of Zion, living near Star City, walking the entire distance, and besought him to All the Dowie prescription. Whittaker came to the Klinger home, prayed with the sick man, and then went out and killed and burled the hogs. Klinger’s health is not improved. Latest Investigations Into the strange cases of Mrß. Rainer and Lena Renner, who were murdered at Evansville, apparently by the same man, only serve to Bhow that the circumstances of each death were all but identical. It is worthy of comment that a murder occurred at Evansville last May and which was very similar is marked by the fact that the body was laid within a few feet of the place where Miss Renner was found dead. The idea that the murder was committed by one of the Inmates of the lunatic asylum near by is disposed of by the fact that it has been proved that at the hour when the crimes were committed none of the inmates was out of the building. Miss Floy Gilmore, formerly of Elwood, opened a law office in Manila. The Wooley coal mines, at Petersburg, Idle for a long time, are again running full-handed. Mr. and Mrs. Ratio Smalley of Cambridge City have celebrated their golden wedding day. Congressman George W. Steele of Marion states that the government has taken Up the case of Lemon Porter, who is aboard a British ship, bound for Cape Town, South Africa, where the British will compel the lad to take up arms against the Boers. Major Steele says that the United States consul at Cape Town will take charge ot him as soon as the ship arrives there. Major Steele says the state department is of the opinion that the forced enlistment part of the story is without foundation. Mrs. Sol Hoover of Kokomo was recently stricken with parulysis, and then her sister, Mrs. Fred Hoover, died of internal tumor. Sol Hoover has just died of a peculiar malady, large kernels appearing over his body. Benjamin Tucker, a brother-in-law, is fatally ill of cancer. The family is wealthy and well known. A new swindle was worked in Frank fort, and the man who taught the people that there was something new under the sun got away with his pockets bulging with silver. A number of his victims are searching for him. The graft was advertised as an auction sale of uncalled-for express packages. The man who boosted the scheme claimed to represent the Western Express Company r of Missouri. At the appointed time the buyers were given the packages represented by numbers previously bought, and then a howl went up. They saw how they had been swindled. The grafter had wrapped up old rags, cast-off hats, wornout shoes or anything that would make a bundle. A midget was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ed Seldling of Tipton county. The midget is perfectly formed and weighs but 9 ounces. A ring worn by the mother was easily slipped over the foot nearly to the knee. The physicians report that the little boy will live. The parents are of German descent. The father weighs 185 pounds and the mother 160. Miss Nina Savage, the honor graduate of the Covington high school, class 1901, is dead of consumption. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Savage, and during her entire time in school she was neither absent nor tardy. Dr. T. L. Hickman of Fort Wayne, who sold a $6 claim against John B. Burns, a Nickel Plate railway employe, has been fined S2O and costs by a ’squire for selling a claim outside the state. The claim buyers will appeal to the higher courts in order to test the law.

Michael Johnson, one of the wealthiest farmers in Lake county, was tortured, beaten, and robbed by masked men. Johnson’s home is in an isolated place about a mile from the village of Highlands and about six miles from this city. Because of his age he has retired from active farm work, but from choice he remains on his farm. With him live his aged wife and a servant girl. The crooks were rewarded by finding a roll of money amounting to $l7B. Kenyon college, at La Porte, has been made richer by an addition of SIOO,OOO to its endowment, fund and a gift of $60,000 for a new dormitory. The announcement was made at the -Episcopal diocesan convention at La Porte by Rt. Rev. John H. White. B. A. Palmer, a retired banker of New York, has made a gift of $20,000 to Union Christian college at Merom. Colonel George W. Trigg, aged 53 years, died at Richmond, after a lingering illness. Colonel Trigg was formerly president of the Missouri Press association, had been prominent in Missouri politics and was a temperance advocate. Joseph Keith, tho Warrick county farmer who sent Nora Kifer to an untimely grave, was hanged shortly after midnight Friday morning within the walls of the northern Indiana prison. Thursday his' last hope perished at 2 o'clock when a message was received by Warden Reid from Governor Durbin. stating that he had denied the application for u change of sentence. Keith manifested little feeling when the message was read to him. He had steeled himself for an unfavorable decision. He spent his last hours on earth praying and Binging. The Indiana law requires that hangings must take place between midnight and sunrise, and at 12:10 o’clock Friday morning Keith, preceded by Warden Reid, Deputy Warden Bernard, the prison physicians, spiritual advisers and prisoner guards, walked upon the gallows, which had been erected thirty feet from his cell. The trap was sprung by either Warden Reid or Deputy Bernard, both of whom wero in concealment, and Keith fell eight feet to hia death. Before going to the gallows Keith confessed his crime. He said that Nora Kifer annoyed him much, and fearing her much, he put the girl out of the way for the suke of his wife. Simon Deeds, tv farmer, procured a lliense at South Bend to wed Birdie Gladys Hettel, whom he claimed to be of marriageable age. Tho ceremony was performed in La Porte county. When the bride’s father learned what had taken place, he secured a warrant for Deeds' arrest on a charge of perjury, claiming the girl was but 14 years old. Deeds, who is 62 years old, la now under arrest. Gov. Durbin returned to Indianapolis from a three days’ quail bunt In Jennings county and found awaiting him the letter from Oov. Beckham of Kentucky, criticising him for refusing the Taylor extradition. He had seen references to the letter in the papers, but did not see the text until after hia return. He read it very carefully, and then perused some parts of it a second time. When asked if he had anything to say in reply to the Kentucky’s executive strictures he shook his head. He was then asked if he would reply to the letter, and said: “No, I shall not. The incident, so far as lam concerned, is closed forever. As far as the letter of Gov. Beckham itself is concerned the more people who read it the bettor satisfied 1 will be.” A number of puddlers have quit their jobs at the South rolling mill, says a report from Terre Haute, to work at the new Highland Iron and Steel company’s plant. The equipment of this mill is Bald by ironworkers to be the most modern of any mill in the country. The men want to work there especially because the mill is expected to be operated year in and year out without regard to market prices. The fntll is to be independent and will not be subject to the manipulations of trust influences. Most of the backing for the plant, which cost several hundred thousand dollars, came from the Simmons Hardware company, which will use the Ic.rgcr part of the product. The hardware company did not like the variable conditions that followed the transfer of rolling mills to the Republic Iren and Steel company, and with some of the men who had been managers for trust mills organized the Highland company. Colonel R. m. Johnson, a prominent lawyer and Democrat, died in Goshen of heart failure. He served through the civil war as colonel of the One Hundredth Indiana regiment. He was appointed clerk of the United States court of New Mexico in 1886 and served four years. During an altercation several months ago between William Schafer and Charles Sboaf, the latter was struck on the lower Jaw, the Injury developing inflammation and causing the loss of all the teeth. Shoaf sued for $5,000 damages and the trial is now progressing in the Circuit Court at Petersburg. Madison Lodge, No. 366, Rebekali degree, at Madison has surrendered its charter. It was organized ten years ago. A great gas well has been struck on the 8. S. Carroll farm, near Hartford City, by the Union Oil Company. Alfred Medlock, while driving into J. 8. Bunger’s barn at Spencer, knocked a beam from place and his skull was crushed. Will Kelvie, superintendent, and John MoCourtney, foreman, were severely burned by an explosion in thn gas regulator house at Kokomo.